Voltbike Yukon 750 - Convince me

[Sailormannn]

I'm a newbie who's been looking at bikes in this range for a while. Was initially sold on a new RadRover but having second thoughts. Rad Bikes have been around since 2007, have a large community of supportive owners and extensive range of accessories, but the electronics are pretty locked down and some of the components are not the best. The bikes sold in Canada are 500 watts, and although the controller and LCD can be upgraded to access more power, this would likely void the warranty.

I've been looking online at other bikes in the range, and landed on the Voltbike Yukon 750 which seems to offer a lot for a similar price. Voltbike has a Limited Edition on their website which looks great. My only concern is after sales support and parts availability; If I need a new battery, controller or LCD in 2-5 years will I be able to find parts that fit. That's a concern with many of the online bikes including Rad, but remains a question for me.

Would appreciate any thoughts from Voltbike owners if this was a concern going with Voltbikes and how they reconciled.

 

[KenM]

I'm guessing that you're in Canada, as am I, because you mentioned the ridiculous Canadian 500 watt limit. I have a RadRover but i convinced my buddy to buy a Voltbike Yukon 750. Head to head, the Voltbike wins, hands down. They are similar in construction, quality, and price, meaning that they're both solidly built, with good bones, but low end components that get the job done. The Voltbike easily out-specs the Rad with 25% more battery, hydraulic brakes, 4.5 amp charger, and a controller that's easily hacked to provide 1000 watts max power, which should then give you close to the performance of a 750 watt (nominal) U.S. bike.

As for future obsolescence and replacement part availability, that's a calculated risk with any manufactured product, but Rad is probably a safer bet with a $100+ million annual sales and growing. Rad bikes have good support, but it doesn't come from Radpower. It comes from the after market and the online community. I wanted to change the freewheel on my 2018 RR to an 11-34, like the 2019 and newer models. I contacted Rad to purchase one, and they told me that I should take it to my LBS and have it done by a professional. That's not support, that's a joke. I ordered one from AliExpress and installed it myself. Radpower pounds me with emails, but all they want to do is sell more bikes and accessories.

Voltbike is miniscule compared to Rad, but they have some good online tech videos. They only have 6 or so employees in Vancouver, so support can get backed up in the busy times, but I think they're a good company. I purchased and installed Voltbike F/R racks and fenders on my RR. The price was far better than Rad, the fenders are aluminum vs. plastic, and the delivery was prompt.

I bought the RR used, for a very good price. If that had not been the case, I would have purchased a new Voltbike Yukon 750.

 

[Sailormannn]

I'm guessing that you're in Canada, as am I, because you mentioned the ridiculous Canadian 500 watt limit. I have a RadRover but i convinced my buddy to buy a Voltbike Yukon 750. Head to head, the Voltbike wins, hands down. They are similar in construction, quality, and price, meaning that they're both solidly built, with good bones, but low end components that get the job done. The Voltbike easily out-specs the Rad with 25% more battery, hydraulic brakes, 4.5 amp charger, and a controller that's easily hacked to provide 1000 watts max power, which should then give you close to the performance of a 750 watt (nominal) U.S. bike.

As for future obsolescence and replacement part availability, that's a calculated risk with any manufactured product, but Rad is probably a safer bet with a $100+ million annual sales and growing. Rad bikes have good support, but it doesn't come from Radpower. It comes from the after market and the online community. I wanted to change the freewheel on my 2018 RR to an 11-34, like the 2019 and newer models. I contacted Rad to purchase one, and they told me that I should take it to my LBS and have it done by a professional. That's not support, that's a joke. I ordered one from AliExpress and installed it myself. Radpower pounds me with emails, but all they want to do is sell more bikes and accessories.

Voltbike is miniscule compared to Rad, but they have some good online tech videos. They only have 6 or so employees in Vancouver, so support can get backed up in the busy times, but I think they're a good company. I purchased and installed Voltbike F/R racks and fenders on my RR. The price was far better than Rad, the fenders are aluminum vs. plastic, and the delivery was prompt.

I bought the RR used, for a very good price. If that had not been the case, I would have purchased a new Voltbike Yukon 750.

Thanks for the reply. I was beginning to wonder, but the smaller footprint and sales of VoltBikes probably explains. No doubt Rad has a much bigger following and community which is a consideration, but not being near the west coast, means I'm not going to see a Rad Service Van any time soon. Volt seems to be a good choice from what I've read. I noticed on Volt's help pages the batteries are generic and can be purchased through Amazon or eBay which is interesting.

Yep; I'm located in Canada so buying something that isn't completely locked down without swapping parts is a consideration. Thanks again.

 

[KenM]

Charge time is something that wasn't even on my radar when shopping eBikes, but after living with the annoying 6-7 hr RR recharge time, but it sure is now. In spite of having 25% more battery capacity, the VB Yukon has a 4 hr. max charge time. Even Voltbike doesn't trumpet this enough. I've ordered a higher capacity charger from AliExpress, but apparently, it's being shipped on a Silk Road camel train, and I'm probably not going to be using it this season. I forgot to mention that the Yukon also has a nice, adjustable handlebar stem, whereas the RR has a low-budget, fixed stem.

 

[RiotGD]

Do not order from this company unless you are okay with getting your bike sometime in January. The order times they have are completely false, I'm in week nine and was just told its going to be at minimum another three weeks to SHIP my bike.

 

[Sailormannn]

Do not order from this company unless you are okay with getting your bike sometime in January. The order times they have are completely false, I'm in week nine and was just told its going to be at minimum another three weeks to SHIP my bike. This company is toxic and does not care at all about making buyers happy. Avoid at all costs. Had a ton of faith but have been incredibly let down

Thanks for the post. It sounds like this could have been better handled by Volt. Assume they haven’t actually charged you yet for the bike. They say on their website that payment isn’t processed until it’s shipped and there’s a caution about delays. All the online bike companies seem to be having supply problems not just Voltbikes. It’s a bummer. With fall in the air here and winter coming, it will definitely be a while before I get to ride. Hopefully things slow down and supply catches up with demand over the fall/winter months. I guess if you want a bike right away, the best option is to find one in a store, but pickings there are slim too, and cost will be an issue

 

[CNP]

I also was looking at the Rad Rover. Living in a small community there is limited options to test drive let alone see what it is that is driving your decisions. Surprisingly, I found a VoltBike Ambassador locally. Living in a rural area I wanted a bike that could stand up to rugged off road cycling. So I test rode an Outback and a Yukon 750 (2020), actually renting both for a day to go backcountry scouting for bighorn sheep. I settled on the Yukon for the extra power, fatter tires and the Yukon Limited configuration. I didn't think that the Outback dual suspension was something that stood out. I didn't have to wait long for a Yukon.....less than two weeks as it happened that the local Ambassador placed an order for numerous bikes and extra ones that weren't yet sold to anyone. I feel fortunate to have one in the garage just waiting for me to drive away on. Lovin' the Yukon...